Despite an injury wrecked season that saw James Ellison miss four races through broken ribs and a broken wrist, the Maxxis-sponsored rider still secured third place in the overall MCE British Superbike Championship with a podium return at Brands Hatch today. In only his second round on a Superbike, 2015 British Supersport Champion Luke Stapleford continued his incredible run of races by ending the year back in the points with 14th.
Following yesterday’s opening MCE British Superbike Championship, which saw JG Speedfit Kawasaki duo James Ellison and Luke Stapleford finish sixth and 17th respectively, it was another positive day for the both today. Despite a damp morning warm up session, conditions warmed up ahead of the final two races of the year.
Starting from seventh, James had a rare slow start dropping back to eleventh by the end of the opening lap. Running in an eight rider battle for much of the race, James lost time caught behind several riders but soon began chipping his way through the pack. Climbing up to fifth with two laps from the end, it looked positive for a podium finish, however a red flag on the last lap thwarted any hopes of a third place finish. For Superbike newcomer Luke, he enjoyed a strong start from his 19th place grid position to finish run 14th, however a crash on lap seven saw his challenge for a second points scoring race over.
For the final race of the 2015 Championship, James enjoyed a front row start in third with Luke 17th. With thousands of fans packing the Brands Hatch circuit, it was an incredible final race of the year as an early mistake from Josh Brookes left James battling with Michael Laverty and Shane Byrne for the race win. Trading places throughout the 20 laps, including two moves into the lead on the final lap, Ellison narrowly missed out on victory to cross the line in second place and securing his third position in the series.
Securing third in the series, James Ellison said “That last race really was a fantastic way to end the season, obviously I’m a little disappointed not to get the win but it wasn’t through lack of trying! The entire race was an awesome battle, both Shakey and Laverty’s bikes had differing strengths so it was really hard to make a move stick. Going into the final lap I thought I had the win when I passed into Paddock Hill but just ran a little wide!
It’s great to be back on the podium and I’m just glad I could thank the boys in the garage with another trophy – they’ve worked so hard all year and I honestly believe that if it wasn’t for the injuries we had then we could have enjoyed more wins. Fair play to Josh, he rode an amazing season and fully deserved the Championship. I’m now looking forward to a few weeks rest before we regroup for the next season, with the brand new ZX-10R I really think we’ll be a force to be reckoned with!”
Finishing 2015 with another points scoring Superbike ride, Luke Stapleford added “What an incredible way to end the year! The Supersport Championship has been fantastic and these last two rounds with the JG Speedfit Kawasaki team has been unbelievable. They’re one of the best teams in the paddock and although there was no pressure on me to get results I’m really pleased we could repay them with another points scoring ride!.”
JG Speedfit Kawasaki Team Principal Mark Smith-Halvorsen added, “2015 has been a fantastic year for the JG Speedfit Kawasaki team and I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this season. I’m really pleased we’ve ended the year back on the podium, we demonstrated that we truly are a force to be reckoned with and a second place has put us firmly back where we belonged. Luke rode a fantastic race too, demonstrating the capabilities of the team.
The season might be over but we’re already looking forward to 2016 and are in the process of early development on the new ZX-10R.”
